The present invention relates generally to automatic gain control (AGC) circuitry for a DVD Player, and particularly to AGC circuitry for an Optical PRML Read Channel of a DVD Player.
A DVD player plays back information stored on a DVD. DVD, an acronym for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc, is a relatively new type of Compact-Disc Read-Only-Memory (CD-ROM). With a minimum capacity of approximately 4.7 gigabytes, a DVD can store a full length movie. A DVD player includes an Optical Pick-up Unit (OPU), a Read channel, and a digital video decoder. The OPU converts information read from the DVD into an analog RF signal. The Read Channel takes this RF signal and generates a digital data signal and a synchronous clock signal. The Read Channel couples these signals to the digital video decoder, which decodes the data and converts it into a video format compatible with a TV.
Previously, DVD Read Channels were implemented with analog technology. Analog implementation allows a Read Channel to remove the large DC component that typically forms part of the RF input signal from the OPU with relative ease and minor effect upon the data and clock signals. Unchecked, the low frequency disturbance of the RF input signal can cause the amplitude of the output signal to exceed the expected peak-to-peak amplitude, which can negatively impact the performance of the digital video decoder. Additionally, the baseline wandering resulting from low frequency disturbances of the RF input signal can cause so much clock jitter that the Read Channel phase lock loop (PLL) used to generate the clock may lose lock.
Various considerations now push toward a digital implementation of DVD Read Channels and, in particular, toward Partial Response Maximum Likelihood (PRML) Read Channels. Digital implementation requires a new approach to removing the low frequency disturbances of the RF input signal to the RF channel so that clock jitter does not cause the PLL to lose lock and so that the amplitude of the data signal conforms to a target spectrum.
The present invention is AGC Circuitry for an optical Partial Response Maximum Likelihood (PRML) read channel that is insensitive to low frequency disturbances of an RF input signal. The AGC Circuitry includes a Voltage Gain Amplifier (VGA), a low pass filter, an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), a baseline Wander Correction Circuit, a digital gain control circuit, and a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). The VGA amplifier amplifies the RF input signal to produce a second RF signal. The low pass filter filters the second RF signal to produce a first analog signal. The ADC converts the first analog signal into a digital AGC output signal suitable for decoding. The baseline Wander Correction Circuit removes from the digital AGC output signal effects of low frequency disturbance of the RF input signal to produce a second digital signal. The digital gain control circuit controls the gain of the VGA amplifier by producing a digital gain control signal in response to the second digital signal. The DAC for converting the digital gain control signal into the analog gain control signal to be applied to the VGA amplifier, the analog gain control signal being substantially free from effects of low frequency disturbance of the RF input signal.